National Football League

Falcons beat up on Browns QBs in 20-10 victory

Published Oct. 11, 2010 6:43 a.m. ET

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As he struggled to get around on one good leg, Browns quarterback Jake Delhomme knew what the Atlanta Falcons were thinking.

Easy meat.

''With me hobbling out there a little bit,'' Delhomme said, ''that's blood in the water for a lot of those guys, let's be honest.''

Led by pass rusher John Abraham, Atlanta's defense was relentless and merciless and got a spectacular touchdown from end Kroy Biermann on Sunday in a 20-10 win over the Browns, whose troubles included injuries to both quarterbacks and running back Peyton Hillis.

Abraham made Browns Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas look silly, recording two sacks, three tackles for loss and three quarterback hurries. Biermann made the play of the game - and arguably one of the best in the NFL this season - by returning an interception 31 yards for a TD as the Falcons (4-1) won their fourth straight.

Atlanta's third-year end leaped to tip a pass by Delhomme, caught the deflection with a headfirst dive, rolled on the ground, alertly jumped to his feet and outran a few Cleveland players for his TD, giving the Falcons their 10-point cushion with 4:01 left.

''Kroy is from Montana,'' Falcons coach Mike Smith said. ''He has probably rode a few wild broncos and bulls and been thrown off and landed on his feet. It was just a super athletic play.''

With the Falcons up 13-10, Biermann sniffed out a screen pass by Delhomme on third-and-7 at the 47. Biermann jumped to bat Delhomme's pass high in the air and then hustled to snare it, catching the ball just above the turf like a seasoned wide receiver.

Knowing he had not been touched and could still run, Biermann hopped up and rumbled 31 yards, dragging a final defender into the end zone, where he was mobbed by teammates

''That was the trifecta right there,'' an impressed Falcons running back Michael Turner said. ''A tremendous play. You can't get better than that. I didn't critique his technique. I was too busy cheering.''

Following his first career interception as a pro and the only one he could remember since junior high, the 6-foot-3, 260-pound Biermann, a fifth-round pick in 2008, needed oxygen on the sideline before he had to run right back on the field to help the Falcons preserve their lead.

''Right play at the right time,'' said Biermann. ''Once I caught it, I just got to my feet and started to run.''

Atlanta's Matt Ryan threw a 45-yard TD pass to Roddy White for the Falcons, whose only blemish this season is an overtime loss in Week 1 at Pittsburgh. Turner rushed for 140 yards, including a season-long 55-yarder, and White added 101 yards on five catches.

The Browns (1-4) are one big bruise.

They lost starting quarterback Seneca Wallace just before halftime with an ankle injury suffered when Abraham rolled up on his leg. Wallace made his fourth straight start for Delhomme, who had been out since severely spraining his right ankle in the opener on Sept. 12.

Wallace will undergo further tests, but he was limping around in the locker room afterward and could be sidelined several weeks. Wallace wanted to go back in the game after he got hurt, but realized it would have been a mistake.

''If I would have gone back in, it probably would have made things worse,'' he said.

Browns coach Eric Mangini will wait to see the extent of Wallace's injury before making any decisions on signing another quarterback. The only other QB currently on Cleveland's roster is rookie Colt McCoy, and the Browns don't believe he's ready to play.

On top of that, Hillis was slowed after pulling a quadriceps muscle in practice Thursday. He wasn't himself from the outset and was held to 28 yards on 10 carries after gaining more than 100 yards in Cleveland's previous two games.

''I was nicked up the whole time,'' said Hillis, who did contribute a 19-yard TD reception. ''I went out there and I knew I wasn't 100 percent, but I knew that my teammates needed me. I wanted to stay out there for them.''

Delhomme had little mobility, making him a sitting duck against one of the league's better pass rushes. He finished 13 of 23 for 97 yards and two interceptions. Wallace went 11 of 15 for 139 yards before being forced out.

Matt Bryant kicked field goals of 24 and 30 yards for the Falcons.

Cleveland's Phil Dawson kicked a 19-yarder to tie Hall of Famer Lou ''The Toe'' Groza for the franchise record with 234.

Ryan hooked up with White on a 45-yard TD, giving the Falcons a 13-10 lead in the third.

With time to throw, Ryan waited for White to run past cornerback Sheldon Brown, who had just re-entered the game after injuring his shoulder tackling tight end Tony Gonzalez. Ryan hit White in stride at the goal line for his longest completion this season.

''Roddy ran a great route,'' Ryan said. ''I just laid the ball out there and let him run under it. It was a good play call by (offensive coordinator) Mike Mularkey, seeing that Brown went out on the play before.''

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